SAT OwlQuestion bank / Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Biomimicry is the practice of designing technologies modeled on structures and processes found in nature.
• In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed burrs clinging to his dog's fur.
• He studied the burrs' tiny hooks and later invented Velcro.
• Japanese engineer Eiji Nakatsu redesigned the nose of the Shinkansen bullet train to resemble a kingfisher's beak.
• The new design made the train quieter and reduced its energy use.
The student wants to make a generalization about biomimicry. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
In biomimicry, engineers design technologies by imitating structures and processes found in nature.
George de Mestral invented Velcro after studying the tiny hooks on burrs that clung to his dog's fur.
Eiji Nakatsu modeled the nose of the Shinkansen bullet train on a kingfisher's beak, making the train quieter and more efficient.
Velcro and the redesigned Shinkansen bullet train were both inspired by nature.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
A generalization makes a broad statement about the whole category, not about particular cases. Choice A describes what biomimicry is in general. Choices B and C each describe a single example. Choice D combines the two examples, but it is still a claim about two specific inventions and not about biomimicry as a practice.
Choice D seems broad because it covers two inventions, but it is still about specific examples and not about biomimicry in general.
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